Congressman Demands Change at DEA: Medical Marijuana Is No ‘Joke’

A member of Congress who is leading the fight to reform federal marijuana laws took to the House floor on Wednesday morning and called for the head of President Obama’s top drug war official.

In the speech, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) added his voice to tens of thousands of others that have demanded the firing or resignation of Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), following his description of medical marijuana as a “joke.”

More than 90,000 people have signed a petition demanding Rosenberg’s ouster.

“What is a joke is the job Rosenberg is doing as acting DEA administrator,” Blumenauer said. “He is an example of an inept, misinformed zealot who has mismanaged America’s failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”

The Change.org petition calling for Rosenberg’s firing was uploaded by the organization Marijuana Majority less than two weeks ago and already has more signatures than an earlier one that helped lead to the resignation of previous DEA administrator Michele Leonhart, who also opposed medical marijuana.

(Full disclosure: The author of this article is the founder of Marijuana Majority.)

Rosenberg’s comments are a “throwback ideology rooted in the failed war on drugs, which needs to stop,” Blumenauer said. “This culture needs to change. Leadership needs to change. Rosenberg is clearly not the right fit for the DEA in this administration.”

The congressman has sponsored and signed on to numerous marijuana policy reform proposals, including a measure that would prevent DEA from spending money to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws. He has also sponsored legislation to allow military veterans to more easily access medical cannabis by working with their doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I would hope that the president directs the heads of all relevant agencies to adjust their policies, clarify regulations that deal with marijuana laws, establish policies that reflect changing state laws and, most important, reflect the president’s own position,” Blumenauer said, referring to President Obama’s saying his administration has “bigger fish to fry” than going after low-level marijuana offenders.

“It’s time that the rest of his administration gets on board, and it should start with a new head of” DEA, Blumenauer said.